Torque Wrench Use

[Graham Sharman]

So I read that overtorquing bolts on carbon frames can have disasterous
effects I went out and bought a Sears Torque Wrench. And there it sits.

It's a 1/4 in drive and all my allen Wrenches are metric ! So how do I
obtain a "connector" so i can check my Newton Mtrs etc against the
manuals ? I checked on Line for Metric TW'S couldn't find any for
reasonable $$$.

Any ideas or if there is an existing FAQ kindly point to it.

Thanks.

GMAn

 

[Kerry Montgomery]

"Graham Sharman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> So I read that overtorquing bolts on carbon frames can have disasterous
> effects I went out and bought a Sears Torque Wrench. And there it sits.
>
> It's a 1/4 in drive and all my allen Wrenches are metric ! So how do I
> obtain a "connector" so i can check my Newton Mtrs etc against the
> manuals ? I checked on Line for Metric TW'S couldn't find any for
> reasonable $$$.
>
> Any ideas or if there is an existing FAQ kindly point to it.
>
> Thanks.
>
> GMAn
>
Hi,
I didn't know Sears even made a 1/4 in drive torque wrench - all I've ever
seen were 1/2 in or 3/8 in. The 3/8 in drive one in my garage has two
scales; one inch, one metric, so no problem with units. Sears also sells
metric hex bits that fit onto socket drives. To translate units, you can
just type something like ,"5 newton meters to foot pounds" into Google
search box, and it'll convert it for you.
Good luck,
Kerry

 

[Tim McNamara]

In article <[email protected]>,
Graham Sharman <[email protected]> wrote:

> So I read that overtorquing bolts on carbon frames can have disasterous
> effects I went out and bought a Sears Torque Wrench. And there it sits.
>
> It's a 1/4 in drive and all my allen Wrenches are metric ! So how do I
> obtain a "connector" so i can check my Newton Mtrs etc against the
> manuals ? I checked on Line for Metric TW'S couldn't find any for
> reasonable $$$.

Buy some metric allen wrench sockets to go with it (I don't know if they
have a 1/4" drive set- this is 3/8" and you might need an adapter):

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Mechanics+Tools&pid=0093444
8000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Sockets&BV_SessionID=@@@@0066979505.1183422759@
@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfaddlgfeilmmcefecemldffidfmg.0

> Any ideas or if there is an existing FAQ kindly point to it.

Try googling for "using a torque wrench"

 

[Victor Kan]

On Jul 2, 7:56 pm, Graham Sharman <[email protected]> wrote:
> So I read that overtorquing bolts on carbon frames can have disasterous
> effects I went out and bought a Sears Torque Wrench. And there it sits.
>
> It's a 1/4 in drive and all my allen Wrenches are metric ! So how do I
> obtain a "connector" so i can check my Newton Mtrs etc against the
> manuals ? I checked on Line for Metric TW'S couldn't find any for
> reasonable $$$.

So are you saying you've got some metric drive hex wrench bits that
you'd like
to connect to your 1/4" drive wrench?

I haven't seen such a thing, but if it exists, I'd assume the adapter
is more expensive than a usable set of new, SAE drive, metric hex
bits, and might
make the wrench harder to use.

You can easily get metric allen wrenches that fit SAE drives, though
1/4" drive might be less common than 3/8" at your local hardware
store.

I use this set:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=200318-1074-22386&lpage=none

with my Park TW-2:

http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=13&item=TW-2

which reads in both Newton-meters and inch-pounds.

Looks like 1/4" drive bits are available at amazon (I don't know how
good they are):

http://www.amazon.com/KD-Tools-Piece-Metric-Socket/dp/B000LANCE0

 

[[email protected]]

Graham Sharman writes:

> So I read that overtorquing bolts on carbon frames can have
> disasterous effects I went out and bought a Sears Torque Wrench. And
> there it sits.

> It's a 1/4 in drive and all my allen Wrenches are metric ! So how do
> I obtain a "connector" so i can check my Newton Mtrs etc against the
> manuals ? I checked on Line for Metric TW'S couldn't find any for
> reasonable $$$.

> Any ideas or if there is an existing FAQ kindly point to it.

3/8" and 1/2" dive socket wrenches are standard in the industry in the
US and metric countries. 1/4" drive may fall into the instrument
tools category and not be common overseas but here is a classic set:

http://www.autoschrauber.de/content/000009/werkzeuge-steckschluessel.php

Jobst Brandt

 

[BobT]

"Graham Sharman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> So I read that overtorquing bolts on carbon frames can have disasterous
> effects I went out and bought a Sears Torque Wrench. And there it sits.
>
> It's a 1/4 in drive and all my allen Wrenches are metric ! So how do I
> obtain a "connector" so i can check my Newton Mtrs etc against the
> manuals ? I checked on Line for Metric TW'S couldn't find any for
> reasonable $$$.
>
> Any ideas or if there is an existing FAQ kindly point to it.
>
> Thanks.
>
> GMAn
>
You will probably need both 1/4" and 3/8" drive torque wrenches to work on
your bike. The 1/4" drive will measure torque in the range needed for small
items - brake cable anchors, derailleur hanger bolts, etc. The 3/8" drive
will be needed for bigger items - bottom brackets, crankarm bolts, etc.
Unless your bike has a V-8 motor, you probably won't need a 1/2" torque
wrench.

You also need metric hex bit sockets. I have a set that has 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3,
4, 5, 6, 8,10 mm hex bits. The smaller ones fit a 1/4" drive and the larger
ones fit a 3/8" drive. I bought mine from Wiha.

Sometimes I use the smaller bits on the 3/8" wrench because I need its
torque range and sometimes I used the larger bits on the 1/4" wrench because
I need its torque range. Adapters that convert 1/4" to 3/8" or vice versa
are readily available at most places that sell socket wrenches.

It doesn't matter what units your torque wrenches have on their scales.
It's easy to convert. This page has a conversion calculator and all of the
conversion factors:

http://www.onlineconversion.com/torque.htm

BobT

 

[Orin]

On Jul 2, 6:38 pm, "BobT" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>
> Sometimes I use the smaller bits on the 3/8" wrench because I need its
> torque range and sometimes I used the larger bits on the 1/4" wrench because
> I need its torque range. Adapters that convert 1/4" to 3/8" or vice versa
> are readily available at most places that sell socket wrenches.

Like just about any tool or auto parts store... Sears, NAPA, your
local equivalent of Pep Boys etc.. My allen sockets are 3/8" drive.
I just use a 1/4" to 3/8" adapter if I need to use my 1/4" drive
torque wrench.

> It doesn't matter what units your torque wrenches have on their scales.
> It's easy to convert. This page has a conversion calculator and all of the
> conversion factors:
>
> http://www.onlineconversion.com/torque.htm

Useful.

Orin.

 

[Michael Warner]

On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 19:56:50 -0400, Graham Sharman wrote:

> So I read that overtorquing bolts on carbon frames can have disasterous
> effects I went out and bought a Sears Torque Wrench. And there it sits.
>
> It's a 1/4 in drive and all my allen Wrenches are metric ! So how do I
> obtain a "connector" so i can check my Newton Mtrs etc against the
> manuals ? I checked on Line for Metric TW'S couldn't find any for
> reasonable $$$.

I bought a 1/4" torque wrench, and found that hex key sets to suit
are scarce and expensive, so I made my own from 1/4" hex sockets
(my local hardware store sells them loose) by glueing in short lengths
of cut-off allen keys. Works great, and I can make extra-long ones
for those hard-to-reach places

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

 

[Peter Cole]

Michael Warner wrote:
> On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 19:56:50 -0400, Graham Sharman wrote:
>
>> So I read that overtorquing bolts on carbon frames can have disasterous
>> effects I went out and bought a Sears Torque Wrench. And there it sits.
>>
>> It's a 1/4 in drive and all my allen Wrenches are metric ! So how do I
>> obtain a "connector" so i can check my Newton Mtrs etc against the
>> manuals ? I checked on Line for Metric TW'S couldn't find any for
>> reasonable $$$.
>
> I bought a 1/4" torque wrench, and found that hex key sets to suit
> are scarce and expensive, so I made my own from 1/4" hex sockets
> (my local hardware store sells them loose) by glueing in short lengths
> of cut-off allen keys. Works great, and I can make extra-long ones
> for those hard-to-reach places
>

Usually socket adapters are made to use larger wrenches with smaller
sockets (typically 1/2" wrench with 3/8" socket) but "reverse" adapters
are available & very handy.

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

On Jul 2, 5:56 pm, Graham Sharman <[email protected]> wrote:
> So I read that overtorquing bolts on carbon frames can have disasterous
> effects I went out and bought a Sears Torque Wrench. And there it sits.
>
> It's a 1/4 in drive and all my allen Wrenches are metric ! So how do I
> obtain a "connector" so i can check my Newton Mtrs etc against the
> manuals ? I checked on Line for Metric TW'S couldn't find any for
> reasonable $$$.
>
> Any ideas or if there is an existing FAQ kindly point to it.
>
> Thanks.
>
> GMAn

5 nm is a good place for torque on metal bits in carbon bits, like
stem plates with carbon hbars. Go see a Ritchey dealer and they have a
little handheld torque wrench set at 5nm..keen tool, $20.

 

[still me]

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:05:50 -0400, Peter Cole
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>Usually socket adapters are made to use larger wrenches with smaller
>sockets (typically 1/2" wrench with 3/8" socket) but "reverse" adapters
>are available & very handy.

Yes, you should have adaptors to go up and down from one set to
another. There's always a circumstance where you need to mix and match
in either direction to get a job done.

 

[A Muzi]

Michael Warner wrote:
> On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 19:56:50 -0400, Graham Sharman wrote:
>
>> So I read that overtorquing bolts on carbon frames can have disasterous
>> effects I went out and bought a Sears Torque Wrench. And there it sits.
>>
>> It's a 1/4 in drive and all my allen Wrenches are metric ! So how do I
>> obtain a "connector" so i can check my Newton Mtrs etc against the
>> manuals ? I checked on Line for Metric TW'S couldn't find any for
>> reasonable $$$.
>
> I bought a 1/4" torque wrench, and found that hex key sets to suit
> are scarce and expensive, so I made my own from 1/4" hex sockets
> (my local hardware store sells them loose) by glueing in short lengths
> of cut-off allen keys. Works great, and I can make extra-long ones
> for those hard-to-reach places
>
Right, and one may also change the inserts in commercial allen sockets
besides buying a 3/8=>1/4 adapter. Many ways to go, no problem,really.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971